GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Writing Assignments
A sequence of formal written assignments requiring students to represent relevant and informed points of view appropriate for the audience, purpose, and occasion. These assignments must represent at least 35% of the final grade.
A minimum of 4,000 words of formal writing. There may be additional informal writing assignments throughout the semester, of course. The writing done for this course can and should involve a number of different writing situations: proposals, informal writings, research notes, peer critiques, summaries, formal projects, and so forth. Speeches do not count toward this minimum. Formal writing is:
- Revised
- Submitted for a grade
One substantive cumulative project that focuses on inquiry. Genre and media are your decision: textual essay, video, audio, etc. Any multimedia piece should include written narrative. The major project should involve an inquiry-based text that presents the findings of research and question- asking, rather than make a persuasive argument to this audience. The written portion of this substantive project must be a minimum of 2,500 words.
Speech Assignments
A sequence of oral presentation assignments requiring students to represent relevant and informed points of view appropriate for the audience, purpose, and occasion. Multiple formal and informal speaking assignments should be spread throughout the semester. Students should have occasions to practice presenting formally in front of live audiences (i.e. the class). These assignments must represent at least 35% of the final grade.
One substantive assignment that requires students to deliver a 4–6-minute individual oral presentation.
Readings, activities, and assignments that require students to analyze, create, and use visuals as a form of communication (these visuals can be part of the oral and written assignments described above).
Readings, activities, and assignments that demonstrate an awareness of appropriate strategies used to communicate effectively in different situations (large group, small group, interpersonal) and contexts (face-to-face & digital).
Readings, activities and assignments that require students to find, analyze, evaluate, and properly cite pertinent primary and secondary sources.
Revision occasions, which require students to learn to develop flexible and effective strategies for organizing, practicing/rehearsing, editing, and proofreading (for grammar and mechanics) to improve the development and clarity of their ideas.
Readings and activities that enable students to work effectively in a range of small group activities.
SPECIFIC SYLLABUS CONTENT AND POLICY REQUIREMENTS
Instructor information
- Office Number
- Instructor Email
- Times of regularly held office hours (at least 3 hours per week)
Student Learning Outcomes (use exact language)
By the end of the semester, students will be able to:
- Compose written texts and deliver oral presentations that represent a relevant and informed point of view appropriate for its audience, purpose, and occasion in an environment that reinforces the recursive and generative nature of the composition and delivery rehearsal processes.
- Demonstrate an awareness of strategies that speakers and writers use in different communicative situations and media, and in large and small groups; learn to analyze and use visuals effectively to augment their oral presentations; to employ invention techniques for analyzing and developing arguments; to recognize and address differing genre and discourse conventions; and to document their sources appropriately.
- Find, analyze, evaluate, and properly cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, using relevant discovery tools, as part of the process of speech preparation and writing process.
- Develop flexible and effective strategies for organizing, revising, editing, proofreading, and practicing/rehearsing to improve the development of their ideas and the appropriateness of their expression.
- Collaborate with peers, the instructor, and librarians to define revision strategies for their essays and speeches, to set goals for improving them, and to devise effective plans for achieving those goals.
- Engage in a range of small group activities that allow them to explore and express their experiences and perspectives on issues under discussion.
Required Materials for class
Must include Town Branch and Engaged Citizen textbooks (*these are updated each year).
- Town Branch Writing Collection (2023-2024, 9th edition)
- Engaged Citizen (2023-2024, 9th edition)
Must include the following disclaimer (use exact language):
- As of fall 2016, all sections of WRD 110, 111, and 112 use our homegrown textbook, The Town Branch Writing Collection and our student reader, The Engaged Citizen. These books are available in hard-copy and online formats. Proceeds from either book go back directly to the WRD Department to support its mission.
Attendance, participation, and tardy policies
Must allow a one-week total “free” absence policy. After each additional unexcused absence, instructors may set own policy for penalty or lost points.
Must adhere to the faculty senate’s one-fifth rule, which states that students who miss at least one-fifth of class contact hours for unexcused absences are not eligible to receive credit for the course. They must withdraw or receive an E. Students who have excused absences equal to one-fifth of class contact hours, or who have a mixture of excused and unexcused absences equal to one-fifth of class contact hours, may be encouraged to withdraw, but may not be given an E for attendance alone.
Finally, students grade may not be penalized for excused absences. The University defines excused absences in the current edition of Student Rights and Responsibilities, available online at http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/Section%20V.pdf
Late assignment policy (see language suggested in model syllabi)
Plagiarism policy (See language suggested in model syllabi) The minimum penalty for plagiarism must be a zero for the assignment in question. In major instances, the student may receive a zero for the course.
Writing Center information
Class conduct policies that include any penalties for misconduct (see sample syllabi for examples)
Student Accommodations (use exact language)
If you are registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) and require special accommodations to complete the work for this course, you must produce a letter from the DRC that details what you need before I can grant you these accommodations. Special accommodations cannot be granted retroactively. This is a non-negotiable class policy. Please contact the DRC at 859-257-2754 if you have questions about your eligibility for special accommodations.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Statement (use exact Senate-approved language (provided below) or craft your own language)
The University of Kentucky is committed to our core values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and human dignity, and a sense of community (Governing Regulations XIV, https://regs.uky.edu/governing-regulation/gr-xiv). We acknowledge and respect the seen and unseen diverse identities and experiences of all members of the university community (https://www.uky.edu/regs/gr14). These identities include but are not limited to those based on race, ethnicity, gender identity and expressions, ideas and perspectives, religious and cultural beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, age, ability, and socioeconomic status. We are committed to equity and justice and providing a learning and engaging community in which every member is engaged, heard, and valued.
We strive to rectify and change behavior that is inconsistent with our principles and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If students encounter such behavior in a course, they are encouraged to speak with the instructor of record and/or the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity (https://ieeo.uky.edu/contact-us). Students may also contact a faculty member within the department, program director, the director of undergraduate or graduate studies, the department chair, any college administrator, or the dean. All of these individuals are mandatory reporters under University policies.
GenAI Policy (choose one of the Senate-approved suggestions below, or craft your own language)
Option 1: Statement prohibiting the use of GenAI for all assignments (any use of GenAI is prohibited and constitutes academic misconduct).
Because a major focus of this course is on developing your skills and fostering creativity in [writing, argumentation, and critical thinking], you must complete assignments for this course entirely on your own. You may not copy from any online sites (e.g. Course Hero or Chegg) or utilize composition technologies (e.g. ChatGPT or other GenAI software). Work submitted by students—all process work, drafts, low stakes writing, final versions, and all other submissions—will be generated by the students themselves. For the purpose of this course, any use of these sites or tools will be considered academic misconduct and consequences will follow University policies. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, contact your instructor before submitting any assignments.
Option 2: Specific uses of GenAI are encouraged (generating ideas, editing, translating, outlining).
GenAI tools such as ChatGPT may be used in this course for the purposes of pre-submission activities such as [edit for course specifics: brainstorming, testing out ideas, editing text, outlining, or structuring an argument]. However, learners are responsible for submitting work that meets the assignment standards for quality and factual accuracy. Before submitting any assignment that was aided in any way by GenAI, students are responsible for fact-checking all statements and ensuring that any content drawn from other sources—including the use of GenAI--is appropriately acknowledged through the citation practices used in this course. By keeping track of your AI use and sharing your experiences, we all gain understanding, identify potential issues in this rapidly changing field, and discover better ways to use the resources for our objectives. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, contact your instructor before submitting any assignments.
Option 3: Specific uses of GenAI are allowed if students clearly distinguish between their original work and GenAI output (highlighting output, tracking changes in GenAI output).
For most assignments in this course, the use of GenAI to complete any part of the submitted work is prohibited unless explicitly specified by the instructor. In instances where specific
instruction/permission to use GenAI tools are provided, students must acknowledge any work that is not their own. This includes citations for outside scholarship or information gathered from other sources. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, contact your instructor before submitting any assignments.
Major project and assignment descriptions and due dates for semester
Grading breakdown
Grade ranges
RECOMMENDED POLICY/CONTENT
Description of course (see suggested language on model syllabi)
Email policy (see suggested language on model syllabi)
Behavioral policies (texting, taking, cell phones, etc.). Can be combined with class conduct policies.
Additional resources you want students to use/be aware of, such as:
- Bias Incident Support Services
- Counseling Center
- Libraries
- Martin Luther King Center
- Non-Discrimination / Title IX
- Office of LGBTQ* Resources
- University Health Services
- Veterans Resource Center Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Center